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China sets no target for gold medals in the Para Games

By Xiang Bin: 0 Comments Print E-mail China.org.cn, December 11, 2010

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China, which led the medal tally with an overwhelming advantage in the just concluded 16th Asian Games, has set no goal for a specific number of gold medals in the upcoming Guangzhou Asian Para Games.

Zhao Sujing, Zhao Xuejing, chief of the Chinese delegation to the Asian Para Games[Xiang Bin/China.org.cn]

Zhao Sujing, chief of the Chinese delegation to the Asian Para Games, said at a press conference on December 11 that China pays more attention to the spirit reflected in the Asian Para Games rather than the number of gold medals.

"We have given no specific task or pressure to our athletes. The Asian Para Games will be a great platform for them to show themselves and to transmit the sporting spirit, so how many gold medals they achieve is not so important," Zhao said.

She went on to explain how this experience would benefit competitors in the 2012 Paralympics in London.

"70 percent of our athletes are under 25. They are very young and inexperienced. They are nonprofessionals and have only trained for about 2 months for the Games, so we take the Games as a very good opportunity for our athletes to toughen themselves, to gain experience and to prepare for the 2012 London Paralympics," Zhao said.

There are 448 Chinese athletes competing in all of the 19 sports in the Guangzhou Asian Para Games, which will open on December 12.